Webster  E.  Browning 


The  Republic  of  Ecuador 


F37  09 


^NOV  3 1955 
t^S'70? 

;E88: 


The  Republic  of  Ecuador 


Social,  Intellectual  and  Religious 
Conditions  Today 


Webster  E.  Browning,  Ph.  D. 
Educational  Secretary 
of  the 

Committee  on  Co-operation 
in  Latin  America 


bn/MWa 


NEW  YORK 

Committee  on  Co-operation  in  Latin  America 
25  Madison  Avenue 

19  2 0 


Ecuador 


GEOGRAPHICAL  SITUATION 

I Z'-  ' 

The  Republic  of  Ecuador  fronts  on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and 
lies  south  of  Colombia  and  north  of  Peru.  Its  acknowledged 
area  is  116, OCX)  square  miles,  but  there  are  large  territories  in 
dispute  with  its  neighbors,  which,  should  Ecuador  be  success- 
ful in  its  contentions,  would  bring  the  total  area  to  a little  over 
276,000  square  miles. 

This  enormous  extension  of  territory  may  best  be  under- 
stood if  compared  with  other  better  known  areas,  such  as  some 
of  the  States  of  the  American  Union.  To  create  in  the  United 
States  an  area  equal  to  that  claimed  by  Ecuador,  we  would 
have  to  include  the  great  states  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  West  Virginia,  with  Plawaii  and  the 
District  of  Columbia  thrown  in  for  good  measure,  while  the 
Galapagos  Islands  off  the  coast,  and  not  included  in  the  above 
continental  area,  are  almost  as  large  as  Porto  Rico.  Or,  if 
reduced  even  to  the  smaller  area,  this  would  still  be  equal  to 
the  combined  areas  of  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island  and  the  District  of 
Columbia,  with  nearly  2,000  square  miles  to  spare. 

The  Republic  is  roughly  triangular  in  shape,  with  its  base 
lying  along  the  Pacific  coast.  The  apex  of  the  triangle  crosses 
the  Andes  mountains  and  extends  to  the  sources  of  the  Amazon 
river.  The  Galapagos  group  of  islands  already  referred  to,  lie 
580  miles  off  the  coast  directly  on  the  Equator.  The  group  is 
composed  of  thirteen  large,  and  a number  of  small  islands,  but 
at  present  has  no  economic  value.  The  strategic  importance, 
however,  is  great,  since  these  islands  lie  in  the  direct  path  of 
vessels  coming  across  the  Pacific  from  New  Zealand  and  Aus- 
tralia to  the  Panama  Canal,  and  the  United  States  has  been 
quoted  as  trying  to  gain  possession  of  them  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  a naval  base.  The  Emperor  of  Germany  also 
made  Ecuador  an  offer  of  purchase  at  one  time,  but  the  popular 
sentiment  is  strong  against  the  sale  of  any  part  of  the  national 
territory,  and  all  such  suggestions  have  been  refused,  although 


1 


the  need  of  money  has  been  great.  Moreover  the  Constitution 
declares  that  the  territory  of  the  Republic  is  “one  and  indi- 
visible,” and  no  Congress  or  political  party  has  dared  take 
contrary  action,  such  as  would  arise  from  the  sale  of  any  part 
of  the  national  domain. 

There  are  three  distinct  zones  of  climate  in  Ecuador.  The 
first  is  the  coast  zone  which  is  tropical,  and  whose  principal 
products  are  cacao,  coffee,  rubber,  sugar,  tobacco,  ivory  nuts, 
and  many  kinds  of  fruits,  especially  oranges,  bananas,  alligator 
pears,  melons,  etc.  The  second  is  the  inter-andean  region 
which  embraces  the  slopes,  table-lands  and  peaks  of  the 
Cordillera  de  los  Andes,  among  these  last  the  two  well-known 
summits,  Chimborazo,  which  rises  21,000  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  Cotopaxi,  a volcano,  which  is  19,613  feet  in  height.  The 
climate  of  this  zone  is  temperate,  and  the  products  include 
wheat,  corn,  oats,  beans  and  potatoes,  and  the  valleys  and 
plains  afford  pasturage  for  cattle,  horses,  goats  and  sheep. 
The  third  zone  is  an  uncultivated,  unexplored  region  that 
slopes  down  from  the  Andes  to  the  Amazon,  inhabited  only 
by  tribes  of  wild  Indians,  among  them  the  Jibaros,  or  head 
hunters,  whose  very  name  is  a terror  to  their  enemies. 

The  total  population  of  the  Republic  is  estimated  at  2,000,- 
000,  but  there  are  no  official  figures,  and  some  writers  place  it 
as  low  as  1,500,000.  Guayaquil,  the  principal  port,  is  the  sec- 
ond largest  city,  with  90,000  inhabitants,  and  the  population 
of  the  other  sixteen  provincial  capitals  varies  from  5,000  to 
40,000.  Quito,  the  Capital  of  the  republic,  has  an  estimated 
population  of  100,000.  This  city  lies  297  miles  in  the  interior, 
at  a height  of  9,373  feet  above  the  sea,  and  is  reached  from 
Guayaquil  by  a railway  which  passes  over  a ridge  almost 
12,000  feet  high.  This  journey  takes  two  days  because  of  the 
steep  mountains  to  be  climbed  and  the  numerous  stops  which 
are  made  along  the  way.  The  railway  was  constructed  by 
American  engineers  at  a cost  of  $20,000,000.  Most  of  the  com- 
merce of  the  country  passes  over  this  line,  since  practically 
all  importation  and  exportation  are  carried  on  through  Guay- 
aquil, which  is  situated  on  the  Guayas  river,  forty  miles  from 
the  sea,  but  at  sea  level. 

All  varieties  of  climate  and  production  are  to  be  found  in 
these  three  zones,  which,  combined  with  the  unusual  fertility 
of  the  soil,  make  of  Ecuador  an  altogether  pleasant  country 
in  which  to  live.  Quito,  though  but  fifteen  miles  from  the 
Equator,  is,  because  of  its  altitude,  surprisingly  cool,  though 
not  cold,  and  Guayaquil,  because  of  the  cool  waters  of  the 
Pacific  which  twice  a day  sweep  up  the  river  in  a tide  of  sixteen 


feet,  is  not  warmer  than  some  of  the  cities  on  the  Spanish 
Main  or  the  coast  of  Mexico. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH 


Francisco  Pizarro,  the  illiterate,  but  daring  and  capable 
Spanish  swine-herd,  overthrew  the  Empire  of  the  Incas  early 
in  the  sixteenth  century.  This  empire  centered  in  what  is 
now  the  republic  of  Peru,  but  to  the  north  lay  another  empire, 
that  of  the  Caras,  with  its  capital  at  Quito.  When  Atahualpa, 
the  last  of  the  Incas,  had  been  treacherously  put  to  death, 
Pizarro  then  turned  his  attention  to  these  lands  to  the  north 
and  despatched  one  of  his  lieutenants,  Sebastian  de  Benalcazar, 
to  conquer  the  Kingdom  of  Quito.  This  conquest  was  easily 
encompassed,  since  the  Indians  were  a simple  people  and  the 
Spaniards  heavily  armed,  and  in  1534  the  capital  was  entered, 
a brother  of  Pizarro  was  named  Governor,  and  the  land  was 
apportioned  among  the  conquerors  as  feudal  estates. 

In  1542  the  vice-royalty  of  Peru  was  established  and  the 
territory  now  included  in  the  Republic  of  Ecuador  was  made 
a part  thereof.  Later  on,  in  1717,  the  vice-royalty  of  New 
Granada,  with  the  capital  at  Bogota  was  set  up  and  Ecuador 
transferred  to  this  new  regional  authority.  This  arrangement 
continued  for  but  five  years,  when  it  reverted  to  Peru,  but  in 
1739  it  was  definitely  assigned  to  New  Granada  and  remained 
a part  of  this  vice-royalty  until  freed  from  Spain  by  the  revolu- 
tion which  began  in  Quito  in  1809,  when  the  Spanish  Governor 
was  deposed  and  a revolutionary  cabinet  established.  Inde- 
pendence, however,  was  not  assured  until  General  Sucre  over- 
threw the  royalist  forces  at  the  historic  battle  of  Pichincha, 
May  24th,  1822.  The  territory  was  then  incorporated  with  that 
of  the  Greater  Colombia,  under  Simon  Bolivar,  which  included 
the  modern  republics  of  Venezuela,  Colombia,  Panama  and 
Ecuador.  In  1830,  this  union  was  disrupted  and  Ecuador  pro- 
claimed itself  an  independent  republic,  with  General  Flores  as 
the  first  president. 

The  history  of  the  republic  has  been  turbulent,  and  revolu- 
tion has  succeeded  revolution  with  wearying  rapidity.  The 
struggle,  on  the  whole,  has  been  between  the  Liberal  and  the 
Clerical  parties,  with  first  one  and  then  the  other  in  the  as- 
cendent. Even  today,  with  a Liberal  constitution  and  with 
the  Liberal  party  in  power,  the  Clericals  remain  strong  and 
are  a force  to  be  reckoned  with  in  all  endeavors  to  uplift  and 
educate  the  people. 


3 


STRUGGLES  BETWEEN  FACTIONS 


Perhaps  no  better  insight  into  this  turbulent  history  of 
Ecuador  could  be  obtained  than  that  which  is  secured  through 
the  study  of  the  administrations  of  two  of  its  presidents, 
Garcia  Moreno,  whose  power  terminated  with  his  death  by 
assassination  in  1875,  and  Eloy  Alfaro,  who  was  done  to  death 
by  the  soldiers  and  mutilated  by  the  populace  in  1912,  after 
having  served  two  terms  as  president  and  secured  the  Liberal 
constitution  by  which  the  country  is  now  ruled. 

Garcia  Moreno  was  the  head  of  the  Catholic  party  in 
Ecuador,  and  entirely  under  the  domination  of  the  clergy.  His 
only  ambition  seemed  to  be  that  of  establishing  more  firmly 
the  Church  of  Rome  in  all  the  affairs  of  state,  and  it  was  large- 
ly due  to  his  influence  that  the  Concordat  was  finally  estab- 
lished in  1863,  giving  tp  the  Church  what  was  practically 
supreme  power  over  the  State.  As  a matter  of  historical 
interest,  and  as  showing  how  far  fanaticism  may  go  in  foisting 
ecclesiasticism  on  a country,  it  will  be  well  to  quote  here  the 
first  two  articles  of  that  Concordat,  which  read  as  follows : — 

TERMS  OF  THE  CONCORDAT 

“.Art.  I.  The  Roman  Catholic  and  Apostolic  religion  shall  con- 
tinue to  be  the  religion  of  the  Republic  of  Ecuador,  and  it  shall  con- 
serve forever  all  the  privileges  and  prerogatives  which  belong  to  it, 
according  to  the  Law  of  God  and  the  canonical  rules.  Consequently, 
no  other  heretical  worship  shall  be  permitted,  nor  the  existence  of 
any  society  condemned  by  the  Church. 

"Art.  II.  The  instruction  of  the  youth  in  the  universities,  col- 
leges, faculties,  public  and  private  schools,  shall  conform  in  all  respects 
to  the  Catholic  doctrine.  In  order  that  this  may  be  assured,  the 
Bishops  shall  have  the  exclusive  right  to  designate  the  texts  that  shall 
be  used  in  giving  instruction,  both  in  the  ecclesiastical  sciences  and  in 
the  moral  and  religious  instruction. 

“In  addition,  the  diocesan  prelates  shall  conserve  the  right  to 
censure  and  prohibit,  by  means  of  pastoral  letters  and  prohibitive 
decrees,  the  circulation  of  books  or  publications  of  any  nature  what- 
soever, which  offend  the  dogma  or  the  discipline  of  the  Church  or 
public  morals. 

“The  Government  shall  also  be  watchful  and  shall  adopt  the  neces- 
sary measures  to  prevent  the  propagation  of  such  literature  in  the 
country.” 

It  was,  no  doubt,  in  the  spirit  of  the  last  clause  that  the 
customs  officer  in  Guayaquil  years  afterward,  when  appealed 
to  for  the  admission  of  the  first  box  of  Bibles,  brought  in  by 
Francisco  Penzotti,  said,  “While  stands  great  Chimborazo 
these  books  shall  not  enter  Ecuador.”  (Therefore,  it  was 
with  considerable  satisfaction  that  I brought  with  me  from 
Colon  five  large  boxes  of  Bibles  and  portions,  which  I delivered 


4 


to  a missionary  on  the  docks  and  saw  through  the  customs, 
where  no  word  of  complaint  was  uttered,  nor  even  an  examin- 
ation made.  And  yet,  great  Chimborazo  still  stands!) 

DEATH  OF  GARCIA  MORENO 

But  a revolt  against  the  power  of  the  Church  gradually 
grew  up  in  the  republic,  and  the  young  university  men,  in 
particular,  leagued  together  in  a series  of  plots  against  the 
dictator,  one  of  which  was  finally  successful  and  resulted  in 
his  death.  The  act  of  assassination  is  graphically  related  by 
one  of  the  principal  actors,  who  managed  to  escape  and  lived 
a refugee  for  many  years  in  Peru,  but  now  lives  in  Ecuador 
and  gave  me  personally  a copy  of  his  book  in  which  he  defends, 
on  the  basis  that  they  acted  as  patriots  to  keep  the  Church 
from  lording  it  over  the  State,  all  those  who  participated  in 
the  bloody  scene. 

This  rather  remarkable  description  of  one  of  the  bloodiest 
scenes  in  the  history  of  Ecuador,  written  by  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal participants  who  is  now  a respectable  and  respected 
citizen,  living  quietly  in  Guayaquil,  is  worthy  of  reproduction 
here  as  showing  the  intense  struggle  that  has  been  carried  on 
between  Liberals  and  Conservatives,  and  which  has  had  its 
origin  in  the  desire  of  the  Church  to  take  surpremacy  over 
the  State. 

RESULTANT  CIVIL  WARS 

As  a result  of  the  above  assassination,  civil  wars  were  started 
which,  after  almost  a quarter  of  a century  of  fighting,  the 
complete  exhaustion  of  the  resources  of  the  country  and  the 
loss  of  many  thousands  of  valuable  lives,  resulted  in  the  over- 
throw of  the  Conservatives  and  the  adoption  of  a liberal 
Constitution. 

The  principal  leader  of  the  Liberals  in  the  last  years  of  these 
wars,  and  the  one  chosen  president  at  their  termination,  was 
Eloy  Alfaro.  It  is  a tradition  throughout  this  region  of  South 
America  that  he  owed  his  liberal  attitude  to  a study  of  a copy 
of  the  Bible,  which  was  given  him  by  a traveling  missionary, 
Dr.  Marwin,  a Presbyterian,  who  met  him  on  one  of  the  coast 
boats.  However  true  this  may  be,  I was  told  by  one  who 
knew  him  well,  that  he  never  failed  to  read  at  least  a chapter 
each  day  from  the  Book,  and  that  he  lost  no  opportunity  to 
recommend  its  study  to  others.  There  was  no  one  to  instruct 
him,  however,  and  he  seems  to  have  tended  to  a spiritistic 
interpretation  and  believed  that  he  was  being  led  and  directed 
by  some  familiar  spirit. 


5 


DEATH  OF  ELOY  ALFARO 


Eloy  Alfaro  served  two  terms  as  President,  but,  after  having 
retired  from  power,  found  himself  involved  in  a political  up- 
heaval, was  thrown  into  prison  and  butchered  by  the  guards 
and  mutilated  by  the  populace  in  a manner  that  has  seldom 
if  ever  been  equalled  for  ferocity  in  the  annals  of  so-called 
civilized  nations. 

PRESENT  STATUS  OF  CHURCH 

The  Concordat  was  abolished  by  the  Liberal  party  under 
the  lead  of  Alfaro,  and  the  Patronate  adopted  by  which  the 
state  alone  is  recognized  as  supreme  in  Ecuador.  The  proper- 
ties of  the  various  orders,  which  embraced  almost  entire 
provinces  in  some  cases,  were  taken  over  by  the  state,  and 
strict  laws  were  made  governing  the  entrance  of  foreign  priests 
and  nuns  into  this  country.  Even  today,  they  are  debarred 
from  entry  into  the  country,  and,  occasionally,  an  overzealous 
Catholic  governor  interprets  this  law  as  applying  to  Protes- 
tant missionaries  as  well.  In  all  such  cases,  however,  he  has 
been  overruled  by  the  government  in  Quito,  and  shortly  told 
that  the  decree  applies  only  to  priests  and  nuns  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith. 

THE  EXPROPRIATION  OF  CHURCH  PROPERTY 

The  paragraphs  of  the  message  of  President  Alfaro,  which 
brought  about  the  enaction  of  what  is  called  the  Law  of 
Beneficence,  and  which  refers  to  the  expropriation  of  the 
property  of  the  orders,  reads  as  follows : 

“The  properties  generally  designated  as  of  the  “dead  hand”, 
rented  or  administered  according  to  the  law  of  worship,  have 
come  to  be  almost  unproductive  for  the  religious  orders,  and 
are  completely  useless  to  the  people,  in  whose  generosity  they 
had  their  origin.  Since  the  religious  orders  have  been  declared 
by  the  constitution  to  be  merely  private  institutions,  they 
have  not  complied  with  the  Civil  Code,  not  even  to  the  extent 
of  securing  a legal  existence.  Therefore,  it  is  wrong  to  give 
these  orders  the  usufruct  of  such  property,  thus  mortgaging 
them  to  the  detriment  of  the  republic.  There  could  be  no  harm, 
then,  in  adjudicating  these  gifts  of  the  ‘dead  hand’  to  the 
Establishment  of  Beneficence,  in  order  that  they  may  be  ad- 
ministered in  such  a way  that  the  income  from  their  products 
will  go  to  provide  for  the  needs  of  the  poor  and  helpless. 
In  this  way,  the  properties  which  were  given  by  the  people 

6 


to  the  religious  orders  would  return  to  the  people  in 
their  need,  and  would  be  used  exclusively  to  alleviate  suf- 
fering. But,  since  it  would  not  be  just  to  deprive  the  present 
members  of  these  orders  of  all  support,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  designate  a just  proportion  of  the  income  for  their  use, 
this  to  be  guaranteed  from  the  proceeds  of  the  properties 
themselves.” 

The  plea  of  the  same  president,  which  resulted  in  the  sepa- 
ration of  Church  and  State,  is  worthy  of  translation,  here,  as 
showing  the  deep  feeling  that  existed  in  Ecuador  on  all  re- 
ligious questions,  and  as  an  eloquent  plea  for  liberty  of  con- 
science. It  is  the  more  remarkable  since  Alfaro  had  seen  but 
little  of  life  outside  his  own  country,  which  has  always  been 
very  much  shut  off  from  communication  with  the  more  ad- 
vanced countries  of  the  world,  and  was  not  a man  of  wide 
scholastic  preparation.  Some  of  his  clerical  enemies  still  claim 
that  he  was  entirely  illiterate,  though  this  is  an  error.  One 
paragraph  of  this  Message  reads  as  follows : 

“Let  the  Church  be  free,  with  a capacity  of  acquiring  rights 
and  contracting  obligations,  but,  let  it  remain  subject  to  all 
the  prescriptions  of  our  legislation.  And,  on  thus  decreeing, 
I beg  of  you  to  take  steps  to  avoid  all  motives  for  ulterior 
conflicts  between  the  Church  and  State,  adopting  so  far  as 
may  be  possible,  dispositions  analagous  to  those  which  have 
prevented  any  conflict  between  these  powers  in  the  United 
States,  Mexico,  Venezuela,  etc. 

“In  the  countries  which  are  to  be  found  in  the  front  rank 
of  all  nations  as  regards  progress,  the  clergy  is  deprived  of 
all  power  to  intervene  in  the  business  of  the  State,  atheism 
is  practically  unknown  and  there  are  no  political  parties  in 
whose  platform  there  can  be  found  any  doctrine  hostile  to 
public  worship.  The  governments,  on  the  one  hand,  are  freed 
from  the  necessity  of  dictating  preventive  or  repressive 
measures  which,  in  one  way  or  another,  wound  the  religious 
sentiments  of  a large  number  of  citizens.  There,  where  re- 
ligion exists  in  a position  of  perfect  independence,  every  form 
of  an  official  subsidy  for  its  maintenance  become  unnecessary, 
because  the  contributions  of  the  faithful  are  sufficient  to  give 
to  public  worship  all  that  splendor  which  its  dogmas  demand. 

“Separation  of  the  two  powers,  when  this  does  not  signify 
the  erection  of  a state  within  a state  and  an  altar  before  the 
tribune,  when  the  ecclesiastical  power,  as  a merely  legal  entity, 
is  subject  to  all  the  laws  of  the  nation  and  never  flies  the 
spiritual  orbit  in  which  it  rules  supreme,  when  the  State  does 
not  invade,  nor  can  invade,  those  spiritual  attributions  of  the 

7 


Church,  there  is  no  doubt  that  there  exists  a solid  and  durable 
basis  for  the  promotion  of  social  harmony  and  as  an  element 
of  progress  and  civilization. 

“I  thus  set  before  you,  with  the  frankness  and  high  idealism 
that  the  case  demands,  the  difficult  and  complex  religious 
problem,  and  the  nation  can  be  sure  that,  whatever  be  your 
solution  of  this  problem,  that  solution  will  be  carefully  dictated 
by  the  most  inspired  sentiments  of  justice  and  patriotism,  and 
with  a view  only  to  the  greatest  national  good.” 

This  patriotic  appeal  of  Eloy  Alfaro  brought  about  the  re- 
sults he  desired,  but  also  set  the  train  of  circumstances  that 
finally  led  to  his  betrayal  and  death. 

SPECIAL  PROVISION  OF  THE  PRESENT  CONSTITUTION 

Compared  with  other  states  of  Latin  America,  Ecuador  has 
a constitution  that  is  surprisingly  advanced  and  liberal.  The 
president  is  elected  by  direct  vote,  as  are  also  the  members 
of  Congress,  and  every  male  citizen  of  over  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  who  can  read  and  write,  is  entitled  to  exercise  the 
right  of  suffrage.  The  Senate  is  composed  of  32  members, 
and  a Chamber  of  Deputies  of  48.  The  President  is  elected 
for  a term  of  four  years,  but  cannot  be  re-elected  until  after 
a lapse  of  two  terms.  In  addition  to  his  cabinet,  which  is 
composed  of  five  Ministers,  he  must  consult  a Council  of 
State  on  all  important  matters,  and  this  Council  represents 
the  Congress  when  this  body  is  not  in  session. 

Some  of  the  articles  of  the  Constitution  which  were  enacted, 
with  special  reference  to  the  pretensions  of  the  clergy,  may  be 
quoted  as  follows : 

“Article  16;  Instruction  is  free,  with  no  other  restrictions 
than  those  pointed  out  by  the  respective  laws,  but  all  instruc- 
tions given  by  the  State  or  the  municipalities  is  essentially 
civil  and  lay. 

Neither  the  State  nor  the  municipality  shall  give  a subsidy 
to,  nor  help  in  any  way  whatever,  any  instruction  that  is  not 
official  or  municipal.” 

“Article  18:  The  Republic  recognizes  no  hereditary  positions 
or  privileges,  and  no  personal  prerogatives. 

It  is  prohibited  to  found  mayoralties  of  any  kind  of  organ- 
izations which  may  hinder  the  free  transfer  of  property. 

Therefore,  there  cannot  exist  in  Ecuador  any  kind  of  proper- 
ty which  cannot  be  sold  or  divided.” 

“Article  26:  The  State  guarantees  the  following; 


8 


Section  3.  Liberty  of  conscience  in  all  its  aspects  and  mani- 
festations, so  long-  as  these  are  not  contrary  to  morality  nor 
subversive  of  the  public  order. 

Section  16.  Liberty  of  thought,  expressed  by  word,  or  in 
the  press.” 

“Article  28.  Foreigners  shall  have  the  same  civil  rights  as 
Ecuadorians,  and  the  same  constitutional  guarantees,  so  long 
as  they  respect  the  constitution  and  the  laws  of  the  Republic.” 

ARMY  AND  NAVY 

A standing  army  of  7,500  officers  and  men  is  maintained, 
and  a navy  which  consists  of  one  cruiser,  of  600  tons,  a tor- 
pedo destroyer  of  1,000  tons,  one  torpedo  boat  of  56  tons,  and 
4 smaller  boats,  with  a total  equipment  of  about  200  men. 

TELEGRAPH  FACILITIES 

There  are  over  5,000  miles  of  telegraph  lines  in  the  country, 
and  the  service  is  both  rapid  and  within  the  Republic,  is 
fairly  sure.  An  ordinary  message  may  be  sent  anywhere  in 
the  country  for  only  a few  cents,  and  to  one  of  the  neighboring 
countries  a message  of  ten  words  will  not  cost  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a dollar,  although,  as  I found  from  experience,  the 
probability  is  that  it  will  never  be  delivered.  There  is  also 
a cable  connection  from  the  coast,  and  one  of  the  principal 
relay  stations  of  the  cable  line  is  on  an  island  off  the  coast 
of  Ecuador.  There  are  two  telephone  companies  which 
operate  in  Quito  and  there  is  long  distance  connection  between 
this  city  and  Guayaquil,  and  also  with  other  points  in  the 
country. 

SANITARY  CONDITIONS 

Ecuador  is  one  of  the  richest  countries  in  Latin  America 
in  regard  to  its  natural  resources,  yet  but  little  has  been  done 
to  develop  this  latent  wealth.  This  has  been  due  in  great 
part  of  the  sanitary  condition  of  Guayaquil,  the  principal 
port,  in  which  yellow  fever,  the  plague,  and  other  diseases  of 
a virulent  nature  have  been  prevalent  at  least  since  the  coming 
of  the  white  man,  and  probably  during  the  centuries  that  pre- 
ceded his  arrival. 

This  obstacle  to  the  country’s  progress  has  now  been  re- 
moved, inasmuch  as  one  of  the  last  triumphs  of  Dr.  Gorgas, 
surgeon-general  of  the  United  States  army  and  working  under 
the  Rockefeller  Institute,  was  the  sanitation  of  this  port.  Yel- 
low fever  has  now  disappeared,  and  Guayaquil  may  be  con- 

9 


sidered  as  healthy  as  Panama.  While  I was  in  the  city,  an 
order  was  received  from  the  authorities  of  the  Canal  Zone, 
releasing  from  quarantine,  for  the  first  time  in  many  years, 
all  ships  arriving  from  Guayaquil.  The  same  orders  have 
now  gone  into  effect  in  Peru  on  the  south,  and  Guayaquil  is 
at  last  given  officially  a clean  bill  of  health. 

Most  of  the  steamship  lines  plying  between  Panama  and 
the  ports  to  the  south  now  include  this  port  in  their  itinerary, 
and  access  to  the  interior  of  the  country  is  thus  made  easy 
and  safe. 

For  years,  the  only  boats  touching  in  Guayaquil  were  those 
of  the  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  now  a branch  of  the 
Royal  Mail,  which  were  engaged  in  coast  service.  Now, 
however,  many  lines  have  entered  the  trade,  and  one  may 
choose  between  British,  Italian,  Dutch,  Chilean  or  Peruvian 
vessels,  while  numerous  tramps,  flying  the  American  and 
other  flags,  make  occasional  calls  at  this  port. 

Unsanitary  conditions  still  exist  in  the  interior  towns  and 
cities,  as  in  all  Latin-American  countries,  but  the  general 
conditions  would  seem  to  be  as  favorable  to  health  if  proper 
care  is  taken,  as  in  Venezuela,  Guatemala,  Mexico,  or  any 
other  country  of  the  tropics.  Certainly  they  are  no  worse 
than  those  which  exist  in  the  interior  of  Central  America  or 
Paraguay,  and  the  foreigner  who  exercises  necessary  care 
as  to  food  and  water  may  travel  and  live  as  safely  in  Ecuador 
as  in  any  other  similarly  situated  country.  The  traveler  in 
particular  will  have  to  abstain  from  the  use  of  many  forms 
of  food  sold  along  the  railway  lines  and  prepared  by  the 
Indians  in  ways  and  places  that  would  not  bear  inspection. 
One  of  the  principal  delicacies  which  I noticed  were  roasted 
guinea  pigs,  served  in  a row  on  a platter,  looking  like  so  many 
rats.  This  delicacy  was  eagerly  bought  up  by  the  local  pas- 
sengers, and  sweet-faced  young  ladies  eagerly  and  ravenously 
tore  the  flesh  from  the  bones  with  as  much  enjoyment,  seem- 
ingly, as  an  American  young  lady  would  attack  a box  of  Huy- 
ler’s  bonbons. 

Macabre  stories  are  also  told  of  the  serving  of  other  meats 
in  sandwiches  which  are  sold  along  the  line,  in  which  the  dis- 
couraged looking  canine  population  plays  an  important  part. 
There  was  not  lacking,  even,  the  story  of  the  priest,  who, 
finding  a human  ear  in  his  plate  of  soup,  became  righteously 
indignant,  believing  that  this  was  too  much  even  for  a priest 
to  bear  in  silence,  and  started  an  investigation  which  resulted 
in  the  discovery  of  a band  of  criminals  whose  confessions 
cleared  up  the  baffling  mystery  of  the  sudden  disappearance 

10 


of  a number  of  travellers  in  that  same  region.  I judged, 
however,  that  this  and  other  similar  tales  were  told  for  the 
benefit  of  the  stranger,  who  was  taken  to  be  a tenderfoot  in 
travel  in  Latin  America. 

COMMERCIAL  CONDITIONS 

Because  of  its  isolated  condition,  Ecuador  has  had  but  little 
contact  with  the  outside  world,  and  its  commerce  has  been 
correspondingly  limited.  With  the  sanitation  of  its  ports, 
new  life  has  already  begun  to  flow  into  the  country,  business 
relations  have  been  stimulated,  and  the  total  value  of  the  an- 
nual imports  and  exports  is  rapidly  rising.  The  following 
ten-year  table  of  its  foreign  trade  does  not  include  the  last 
two  years,  in  which  trade  has  greatly  increased,  but  gives  an 
idea  of  the  business  carried  on,  even  under  the  most  adverse 
conditions,  for  the  period  designated.  The  unit  of  value  in 
Ecuador  is  the  sucre,  which  at  par  is  worth  48.6  cents,  so 
that  10  sucres  are  worth  one  pound  sterling ; but  the  following 
figures  are  given  in  United  States  gold : 


Year 

Imports 

Exports 

. Totals 

1908.... 

. . . .$9,989,599 

$12,907,774 

$22,897,373 

1909.... 

. ...  9,090,262 

12,091,096 

21,181,358 

1910.... 

. ...  8,007,269 

13,638,358 

21,645,937 

1911. .. . 

. . . .11,489,104 

12,692,237 

24,181,341 

1912.... 

. . . . 10,354,564 

13,689,696 

24,044,260 

1913.... 

. ...  8,836,689 

15,789,367 

24,626,056 

1914.... 

. ...  8,402,767 

13,061,566 

21,464,333 

1915.... 

. ...  8,408,143 

12,895,069 

21,303,212 

1916. .. . 

. ...  9,330,171 

17,569,691 

26,899,862 

1917.... 

...  .10,176,887 

16,309,195 

26,486,082 

SHARE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

Of  the  imports  for  1917,  out  of  the  total  of  $10,176,887, 
almost  $6,000,000  came  from  the  United  States,  about  $2,500,- 
000  from  the  United  Kingdom,  and  the  remainder  divided 
among  the  European  and  Oriental  nations  and  the  countries 
on  the  west  coast  of  South  America. 

In  the  same  year,  out  of  a total  of  $16,309,195,  in  exports, 
the  United  States  received  $12,772,005,  the  next  country  in 
order  is  France,  with  $1,447,040.  These  exports  included  par- 
ticularly cacao,  coffee,  ivory,  nuts,  rubber,  hides,  and  the  so- 
called  Panama  hats,  of  which  last  named  article  the  finest 
specimens  are  made  in  the  Province  of  Manabi,  Ecuador. 

11 


EDUCATION 


As  in  most  of  the  lands  that  lie  in  the  tropics,  Ecuador  pub- 
lishes few  reliable  statistics,  especially  in  regard  to  intellectual 
conditions.  Documents,  obtained  from  various  sources,  how- 
ever, give  the  main  facts,  and  they  may  be  divided  as  follows : 

PRIMARY  INSTRUCTION 

In  the  department  of  primary  instruction  there  were,  in  the 
last  year  for  which  figures  are  available,  a total  registry  of 
105,374  pupils,  with  an  actual  attendance  of  but  92,502.  Of 
the  original  number  there  were  57,066  boys,  and  48,308  girls. 
Of  the  92,502  it  is  estimated  that  not  more  than  10%  would 
finish  the  entire  primary  course  of  study,  or,  counting  the 
whole  population  at  2,000,000,  one  for  about  every  2,000  in- 
habitants. I doubt,  however,  if  there  is  a single  primary 
school  in  all  the  Republic  in  which  the  teaching  or  the  equip- 
ment is  such  as  to  make  the  course  in  any  sense  comparable 
to  that  of  the  average  grammar  school  in  the  United  States. 
Hence  the  intellectual  equipment  received  even  by  those  who 
finish  the  full  course  is  but  slight,  in  no  way  preparing  them 
for  an  intelligent  participation  in  the  affairs  of  the  State,  nor 
for  success  in  any  career. 

In  the  task  of  teaching  the  pupils  of  primary  grade,  2,307 
teachers  were  employed,  1,002  of  them  men;  of  the  whole 
number,  but  194  held  a diploma  from  a normal  school,  and 
many  did  not  have  even  primary  instruction  as  a preparation 
for  their  work  of  teaching. 

SECONDARY  INSTRUCTION 

From  the  primary  school  only  1984  pupils  were  passed 
into  those  of  secondary  grade.  There  are  fourteen  “National 
Colleges,”  as  the  State  schools  of  secondary,  or  high  school, 
grade  are  called,  and  four  others  maintained  by  the  church, 
all  of  them  for  the  education  of  boys.  Of  this  total  matricula- 
tion, again,  not  more  than  10%  would  complete  the  course, 
giving  one  high  school  graduate  to  every  10,000  of  the  whole 
population.  Here,  again,  the  equipment  is  most  meagre,  and 
the  course  is  scarcely  superior  to  that  of  a good  grammar 
school. 

NORMAL  INSTRUCTION 

In  Quito,  there  are  two  normal  schools,  which  give  what  is 
called  a full  course,  one  for  men  and  one  for  women.  The 


12 


former  had  a total  attendance  of  113,  and  a graduating  class 
of  7,  the  latter  had  170  students  registered,  and  22  of  these 
were  taking  the  final  year  of  studies.  Another  normal  School, 
for  women,  is  being  organized,  and  reports  an  attendance  of 
92  in  the  first  two  years  of  instruction.  This  one  is  in 
Guayaquil. 

UNIVERSITY  INSTRUCTION 

There  are  four  so-called  Universities,  although  but  one,  “The 
Central  University,”  in  Quito,  can  make  any  pretentions  to 
a building  and  equipment  of  its  own,  and  this  is  still  in  con- 
struction. These  institutions,  with  their  students  classified 
by  the  Faculty  which  they  have  chosen,  may  be  given  as 
follows : 

Location  of 


University  Law  Medicine  Science  Pharmacy  Den’try  Obstr’ts  Nurses  Totals 


Quito  ....  99 

112 

69 

18 

29 

14 

11 

352 

Guayaquil  67 

93 

14 

8 

7 

189 

Cuenca  . . . 104 

56 

14 

2 

176 

Loja  27 

27 

Totals.  .297 

261 

69 

46 

37 

23 

11 

744 

If  ten  per  cent  of  the  total  university  registration  terminate 
their  studies,  Ecuador  would  receive,  each  year,  one  university 
graduate  for  every  26,666  of  the  population,  if  such  preparation 
as  most  of  these  young  men  must  receive  may  in  any  sense  be 
called  a university  education. 

There  is  not  a single  high  school  in  Ecuador  for  girls,  and 
only  two  women  so  far  as  I could  learn,  are  taking  university 
courses,  both  of  them  studying  medicine,  one  in  Quito,  and 
the  other  in  Guayaquil. 

SOURCE  OF  INCOME  OF  SCHOOLS 

One  of  the  principal  sources  of  income,  for  the  instruction 
given  by  the  State,  are  the  taxes  on  alcohol,  and  the  proceeds 
from  the  sale  of  lottery  tickets.  This  is  the  only  country  which 
I have  known  in  which  the  education  of  the  youth  of  the  land 
depends  on  an  income  from  such  precarious  and  doubtful 
sources,  and  it  is  no  wonder  if  the  springs  of  moral  character 
are  poisoned  at  their  very  source.  Chile  appropriates  5%  of 
taxes  received  from  the  traffic  in  alcohol  to  educational  pur- 
poses, but  strictly  to  temperance  education  which  will  combat 
the  drink  evil  from  which  the  tax  is  derived.  The  total  income 
of  the  secondary  schools  for  1920  is  divided  as  follows : 


13 


Sucres  Amer.  Gold 


1.  From  tax  on  alcohol  and 


lotteries 284,655.02 

2.  Grant  by  State 79,989.51 

3.  Other  Sources  375,714.76 


Total  income  for  sec- 
ondary instruction. . . 740,359.29  $296,043.70 

The  income  of  the  four  Universities  is  given  as  follows: 


Sucres 

Amer.  Gold 

Quito,  from  tax  on 

alcohol 

and  tobacco  

165,184.00 

$66,073.60 

Guayaquil,  from  tax 

on  alco- 

hoi  and  tobacco  . 

156,000.00 

62,400.00 

Cuenca,  from  tax  on 

alcohol 

and  tobacco  

133,150.66 

53,260.26 

Loja,  from  tax  on 

alcohol 

and  tobacco  

6,400.00 

2,560.00 

Totals. . 

460,734.66 

$184,293.86 

The  total  expenditure  of  the  State  on  fourteen  secondary 
Schools  and  four  Universities  would  be  1,201,093.95  Sucres, 
or  $480,437.56. 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS 

The  impression  gathered  after  a careful  study  of  intellectual 
conditions  in  each  of  the  Latin  Republics  on  the  Western  con- 
tinent is  that  Ecuador  should  be  placed  far  down,  if  not  at 
the  very  foot,  of  the  list.  A few  men  of  undoubted  ability  have 
been  produced,  but  the  general  intellectual  situation  of  the 
people  as  a whole  is  far  below  the  average.  No  exact  state- 
ment can  be  given  since  no  statistics  on  the  point  are  pub- 
lished, but  the  general  impression  of  those  who  know  best  is 
that  probably  90%  of  the  inhabitants  are  completely  or  virtual- 
ly illiterate.  For  the  great  Indian  population  no  provision 
whatever  has  been  made,  and  the  Mestizos  rank  but  slightly 
above  their  native  ancestors  in  the  care  bestowed  by  the  Gov- 
ernment in  the  bettering  of  their  intellectual  condition.  This 
fact,  no  doubt,  explains  why  revolutions  have  been  frequent, 
since  the  lettered  few  find  it  easy  to  dominate  and  lead  the 
unlettered  majority.  The  history  of  the  people  of  Ecuador 
is  one  of  the  darkest  pages  in  that  of  the  modern  world,  since 
it  has  been  exploited  for  the  benefit  of  the  few  and  more  often 

14 


than  not  led  to  slaughter  in  the  support  of  this  or  that  pre- 
tender to  power.  And  the  Church,  which  should  have  been 
engaged  in  the  intellectual  and  moral  uplift  of  the  people,  has 
not  only  been  supinely  negligent,  but  as  eagerly  and  loyally 
abetted  every  efifort  to  keep  them  in  ignorance  and  make  them 
a tool  for  its  own  use  in  its  incessant  struggle  for  the  subjuga- 
tion of  the  nation. 


VITAL  STATISTICS 

A few  of  the  vital  statistics  published  by  the  Minister  of 
Public  Instruction,  who  is  also  in  charge  of  this  department, 
in  his  report  for  1920,  will  give  a clearer  understanding  of 
the  social  condition  of  the  people  of  Ecuador. 

In  1919,  70,397  births  w'ere  inscribed  in  the  civil  registers 
of  the  country.  Of  this  number,  48,072  were  reported  as  legi- 
timate children,  and  22,325  as  illegitimate.  These  figures,  how- 
ever, include  only  the  children  whose  fathers  took  the  trouble 
to  register  them  in  the  civil  record,  and  are,  as  a general  rule, 
from  the  families  of  the  upper  or  ruling  class,  who  live,  mainly, 
in  the  cities  and  large  towns  and  who,  for  reason  of  the  laws  of 
inheritance,  are  careful  to  register  the  births  of  their  children. 
The  great  majority  of  the  laboring  class,  who  live  in  the  coun- 
try districts  and  smaller  towns  and  villages,  as  well  as  in  the 
cities,  are  not  inscribed,  and  among  them  the  proportion  of 
illegitimates  is  very  much  larger. 

During  the  same  year,  10,006  marriages  were  registered, 
9,809  of  them  between  Ecuadorians  on  both  sides.  Of  the 
20,012  persons  thus  married,  only  8,246  could  sign  the  mar- 
riage register.  The  remainder  were  illiterate.  Marriage  is 
looked  on  as  unessential  to  the  sustaining  of  the  family  rela- 
tion, as  is  the  case  in  most  Latin-American  countries,  and,  even 
by  some  women,  is  regarded  as  even  more  degrading  than 
concubinage.  One  long  resident  in  the  country  told  me  of  one 
couple,  the  woman  an  ex-nun,  who  were  living  together,  al- 
though unmarried  by  church  or  state.  When  the  suggestion 
was  made  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  have  their  union 
legalized  by  such  a ceremony,  the  woman  made  a horrified 
objection  on  the  ground  that  when  she  became  a nun,  she  had 
taken  the  vow  of  chastity,  hence,  marriage  was  not  to  be 
thought  of  under  any  consideration. 

EVANGELICAL  WORK 

Up  to  the  present  time,  no  one  of  the  great  missionary 
Boards  has  entered  Ecuador.  This  country  remains,  as  it  has 


15 


long  been,  a standing  challenge  to  the  Evangelical  Churches  of 
North  America,  the  one  dark  spot  in  all  Latin  America,  the 
only  Republic  on  the  American  continent  in  which  the  mis- 
sionary Boards  have  manifested  no  active  interest,  in  which 
they  have  invested  neither  men  nor  money.  Its  needs,  social, 
spiritual,  intellectual,  and  even  material,  have  cried  more  loud- 
ly and  more  insistently  than  those  of  any  other  land  that 
lies  to  the  south  of  the  Rio  Grande,  but  they  have  heard  no 
response  other  than  the  echoes  of  their  own  cry.  And,  as  a 
consequence,  Ecuador  has  remained  in  the  darkness  of  the 
middle  ages,  a hermit  nation,  shut  up  to  itself  and  its  own 
devices,  while  the  outer  nations  have  moved  steadily  forward 
and,  due  to  the  interest  and  sacrifices  of  the  great  Christian 
organizations  of  the  North,  even  darkest  Africa  has  been  pene- 
trated by  the  light  of  the  Gospel  and  the  nations  of  the  ancient 
East  have  heard  the  Message  and  rejoiced.  The  reasons  for 
this  apparent  neglect  may  be  noted. 

Guayaquil  has  been  an  infected  port,  at  which  few  steamers 
have  touched.  Yellow  fever  has  been  a scourge  of  the  coast 
towns  since  time  immemorial,  and  those  persons  who  have 
entered  the  country  for  any  purpose  whatsoever,  have  run  the 
risk  of  death  from  this  insidious  disease  and  from  many  others 
which  seemed  to  have  become  endemic  and  ineradicable. 

Revolutions,  too,  have  been  an  almost  continuous  perform- 
ance and,  as  a consequence,  the  economic  conditions  of  the 
country  have  been  far  from  stable  or  satisfactory.  Yet,  in 
spite  of  these  adverse  conditions,  commerce  has  gained  admis- 
sion to  the  country  and  has  made  satisfactory  progress,  rail- 
ways have  been  planned  by  American  engineers  and  con- 
structed by  American  gold,  consuls  and  diplomatic  officers 
have  remained  at  their  posts,  men  of  science  have  explored  the 
mountains  and  the  valleys,  the  coast  lands  and  the  high  pla- 
teaus, in  search  of  rare  plants  or  animals,  only  the  Mission 
Boards  have  remained  outside,  spectator  from  afar  of  all  that 
was  transpiring  in  this  land  of  the  Middle  Ages,  unable  or 
afraid  to  risk  life  and  investments  in  the  uplift  of  its  people. 

This  does  not  mean  that  no  Evangelical  Christian  work  has 
been  done.  Many  daring  and  consecrated  men  and  women,  in- 
dependently of  the  strong  missionary  organizations,  through 
which  alone  an  efficient  and  enduring  work  can  be  accom- 
plished, have  entered  Ecuador  and  done  what  they  could,  under 
their  limitations  of  preparation  and  resources,  to  announce  the 
Gospel  as  they  understood  it.  But  the  results  have  necessarily 
been  few  and  ephemeral.  Most  of  these  workers  have  had 
more  zeal  than  knowledge,  more  consecration  than  financial 
backing,  when  that  which  Ecuador  needs,  to  combat  and  suc- 


16 


cessfully  cope  with  the  strongly  entrenched  Roman  hierarchy 
and  the  social  and  moral  ills  that  have  resulted  from  its  mono- 
poly of  what  it  would  call  Christian  work,  are  well  prepared, 
well  equipped  workers  who  can  count  on  a steady  financial 
support  from  some  one  of  the  great  Boards  and  thus  give 
themselves,  unreservedly,  to  the  task  for  which  they  came, 
rather  than  to  a search  for  local  support  which  has  not  always 
been  forthcoming. 

Most  of  those  who  have  attempted  religious  work  in  Ecua- 
dor, as  independents  or  representatives  of  interdenominational 
organizations  under  the  iron  discipline  of  this  or  that  possibly 
well-intentioned  though  autocratic  leader,  have  fallen  by  the 
way.  They  have  merely  ploughed  the  sea,  so  far  as  enduring 
results  of  their  work  may  be  discovered.  Others  have  lingered 
on,  hoping  against  hope,  maintaining  themselves  as  best  they 
could,  have  established  little  groups,  here  and  there,  of  men 
and  women  who  have  felt  soul  hunger,  but  have  seldom  come 
to  realize  the  real  significance  of  the  Gospel  message  as  it 
was  preached  to  them,  and  have  done  something  to  call  the 
attention  of  the  country  at  large  to  a purer  form  of  Chris- 
tianity than  that  to  which  it  has  been  accustomed.  Such  work 
has,  almost  of  a necessity,  been  largely  polemical  in  its  pres- 
entation, destructive  rather  than  constructive,  and  the  visible 
results  are  pitiably  insignificant  if  compared  with  the  wealth 
of  consecration  and  the  arduous  labor  expended  in  producing 
them. 

EVANGELICAL  CHRISTIANS  IN  ECUADOR 

A census  of  all  Evangelical  Church  members  in  the  Repub- 
lic, as  the  result  of  the  labor  of  independents  and  others  during 
a quarter  of  a century,  would  not  show  more  than  seventy-five 
in  all,  whom  the  missionaries  consider  as  really  converted,  and 
the  total  value  of  Protestant  Church  property  would  not  ex- 
ceed three  thousand  dollars  in  American  gold. 

Moreover,  of  this  total  value,  two-thirds,  the  value  of 
one  property,  were  given  by  one  of  the  missionaries,  a godly 
woman  who  received  a small  inheritance  and  invested  it  in 
the  construction  of  a Chapel,  giving  the  title  to  the  Mission 
under  which  she  and  her  husband  were  then  working.  Hence, 
one  thousand  dollars  would  represent  the  amount  invested  by 
the  members  of  the  Christian  Churches  in  the  home  land  in 
property  to  be  used  for  the  extension  of  the  Gospel  in  Ecuador, 
though  I suspect  that  a part  or  all  of  this  was  secured  in  the 
same  way  as  the  other,  through  sacrifices  made  by  the  mission- 
aries themselves.  This  is  not  a record  of  which  we  may  be 
proud,  although  it  is  probable  that  the  great  Christian 

17 


Churches  of  the  homeland  know  little  or  nothing  of  the  need 
in  Ecuador,  as  one  knows  it  who  has  visited  the  country  or 
lived  within  it  as  a missionary. 

THE  PRESENT  DISTRIBUTION  OF  WORKERS 
IN  GUAYAQUIL 

In  this  city,  the  most  important  of  the  republic,  for  many 
reasons,  the  “Kansas  Gospel  Missionary  Union,”  long 
directed  by  Mr.  George  Fisher,  a former  Young  Men’s  Chris- 
tian Association  Secretary,  has  a small  organization  with 
about  twenty  members.  The  Chapel  was  donated  by  a former 
worker.  There  is  one  missionary  in  the  city,  a man  whose 
wife,  by  order  of  the  Director  of  the  Mission,  is  engaged  in 
work  among  the  Indians  in  an  interior  town.  The  influence 
of  this  work  on  the  city  is  but  slight. 

INDEPENDENT  WORKER 

In  the  same  city,  the  Rev.  W.  E.  Reed  has  carried  on  an 
independent  work  for  a number  of  years  and  now  holds  ser- 
vices in  a small  rented  room  on  the  second  story  of  a house 
in  the  suburbs  of  the  city.  He  estimates  that  he  has  some 
fifteen  members  whom  he  considers  really  converted.  He 
worked  under  the  Gospel  Union  mentioned  above,  for  a num- 
ber of  years,  but  withdrew  and  became  independent  and  self- 
supporting  through  teaching  in  one  of  the  high  schools  of 
the  city.  He  also  itinerates  to  some  of  the  neighboring  towns, 
preaches  in  one  of  the  squares  of  the  city,  and  acts  as  Agent 
of  one  of  the  Bible  Societies.  Through  his  connection  with 
the  schools  he  has  come  into  contact  with  a large  number  of 
influential  families,  and  has  exercised  a wide  influence  for  good. 

IN  QUITO,  THE  CAPITAL 

In  this  city  there  are  now  two  Societies  at  work.  The 
Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance,  which  operated  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  Simpson  for  a long  time  and  until  his 
death,  and  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists.  The  first  of  these 
now  has  two  workers  in  the  city,  holds  street  meetings  oc- 
casionally, and  conducts  services  in  a small  upper  room  near 
the  center.  No  members  are  reported  and  I judge  that  the 
results  of  the  work  have  been  few.  Quito,  as  an  interior  city, 
and  the  ecclesiastical  as  well  as  the  civil  capital  of  the  country 
is  less  open  to  evangelistic  efforts  than  is  Guayaquil,  where 
there  is  much  foreign  influence,  and  I was  told  that  some  of 
the  offerings  at  the  street  meetings  come  from  the  nearby 


18 


market  and  are  not  listed  as  acceptable  to  the  speakers,  nor 
presented  in  such  a way  as  would  suggest  thankfulness  on 
the  part  of  the  givers.  The  Alliance  is  planning  a building  for 
Quito,  which  will  include  chapel,  primary  school  and  a book 
room,  and  is  sending  more  workers. 

The  Adventists  have  six  foreign  workers  in  the  city,  three 
married  couples,  and,  as  usual,  do  a good  deal  in  the  way  of 
distribution  of  literature.  I attended  and  spoke  at  one  of 
their  meetings,  on  a Saturday  morning,  in  an  interior  up- 
stairs room,  but  found  only  about  eighteen  present,  including 
the  foreigners  and  all  children. 

AMONG  THE  INDIANS 

In  Otovalo,  an  Indian  village  to  the  North  of  Quito,  two 
of  the  workers  of  the  Alliance  have  recently  opened  a station, 
and  two  others  have  gone  down  among  the  wild  tribes  to  the 
East.  As  yet  but  little  has  resulted  from  these  efforts,  since 
it  is  difficult  to  reach  the  Indian  with  the  ordinary  methods 
and  the  Alliance  is  not  equipped  for  institutional  work  of 
any  kind. 

IN  THE  NORTH 

In  the  province  of  Manabi,  in  the  Northeastern  part  of  the 
Republic,  the  Alliance  has  done  considerable  very  creditable 
work  and  has  established  a number  of  preaching  stations. 

SCHOOL  WORK  ATTEMPTED  IN  QUITO 

Another  attempt  to  establish  work  in  Ecuador  must  be 
mentioned,  that  made  by  a group  of  workers  from  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Mission  in  Chile,  in  1900.  Dr.  Thomas  Wood, 
one  of  the  veteran  Missionaries  of  that  Church  in  South 
America,  came  to  Ecuador  and  obtained  consent  from  General 
Eloy  Alfaro,  then  President,  to  start  Normal  Schools  in  the 
Republic.  These  schools  were  to  be  opened  in  Quito  and  in 
Cuenca  and  a number  of  Missionaries  were  transferred  from 
Chile  for  the  purpose  of  staffing  them.  According  to  the  terms 
of  the  contract  the  Government  was  to  pay  the  bill,  including 
the  salaries  of  all  teachers,  and  was  to  provide  scholarships 
for  needy  students. 

These  schools  lasted  for  only  three  or  four  years,  when  all 
the  missionaries,  save  one,  left  the  country,  and  the  one  who 
remained  went  into  business.  The  failure  was  due  to  several 
reasons.  The  political  situation  was  very  uncertain,  and  mis- 
understandings arose  in  regard  to  the  payment  of  bills,  which 
resulted  in  the  closing  of  the  schools  and  the  withdrawal  of 
the  workers.  Such  attempts  to  work  together  by  church  and 

19 


state  generally  fail  of  their  effort,  and  this  failure  may  stand 
as  a warning  to  future  Evangelical  efforts  in  Ecuador.  Had 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Board  come  in  at  that  time,  it  is 
probable  that  the  attempt  to  plant  work  would  have  been 
successful.  But  the  arrangement  was  largely  a personal 
venture  and  today  no  results  can  be  found.  It  is  even  possible 
that  this  venture  which  failed  will  make  it  harder  for  future 
efforts,  since  the  conditions  have  changed  and  a new  begin- 
ning will  necessarily  be  more  difficult. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  MISSIONARY  OCCUPATION  OF 
THE  COUNTRY 

It  will  now  be  no  easy  task  for  any  one  of  the  Boards  to 
occupy  Ecuador.  There  are  numerous  reasons  why  such  a 
move  will  be  difficult.  The  strenuous  opposition  of  the  clergy, 
the  half-hearted  backing  of  the  supposedly  Liberal  authorities, 
the  difficulties  inherent  to  the  establishing  of  such  work  among 
a half  wild  and  fanatical  population,  and  the  climate,  hot  and 
depressing  along  the  coast  where  much  of  the  work  will  have 
to  be  carried  on,  may  all  be  discounted  as  obstacles  which 
must  be  met  and  overcome  in  practically  every  country  of 
Latin  America.  But,  in  Ecuador,  there  are  additional  prob- 
lems that  must  be  solved  if  a new  work  is  to  be  entered  upon 
with  promise  of  a successful  issue.  The  land  has  been  pretty 
thoroughly  burnt  over  by  a number  of  irresponsible  persons 
who  have  been  self-deluded  into  believing  they  were  called 
to  do  missionary  work,  and  years  must  pass  before  the  effects 
of  their  example  are  forgotten.  There  are  some  men  now  on 
the  field  who  have  done  good  work,  within  the  limits  of  their 
resources,  who  might  even  be  taken  over  by  a new  Board,  but 
others  would  better  have  remained  at  home  so  far  as  any 
permanent  results  in  their  work  are  concerned. 

INDIVIDUAL  FAILURES 

I know  of  one  so-called  missionary,  as  an  example,  who  was 
literally  starving  in  the  streets  of  Quito.  He  is  a man  con- 
siderably advanced  in  age  and  knows  little  or  no  Spanish,  yet 
had  tried  to  preach  in  one  of  the  smaller  towns  with  the  re- 
sult that  he  was  driven  out  and  severely  handled.  His  way 
was  paid  to  the  States,  as  a matter  of  charity,  by  one  who  is 
not  a friend  of  missions,  on  the  condition  that  he  would  never 
return.  Yet  the  news  came  while  I was  in  Quito  that  he  had 
secured  funds  to  return,  and  was  even  then  on  his  way  back 
to  the  town  where  he  had  made  a failure,  ready  to  start  over, 
and,  no  doubt,  find  himself  once  more  an  object  of  charity. 

20 


RESULTING  SUSPICION  AND  DISLIKE 


These  failures  have  created  a feeling  of  opposition  to  mission 
work  in  general  in  the  minds  of  the  influential  citizens  of  our 
own  land,  resident  in  Ecuador,  and  I have  heard  in  no  other 
country  such  outspoken  dislike  of  missions  and  missionaries. 
The  attitude  of  the  natives,  too,  has  been  unconsciously  in- 
fluenced, and  their  prejudices  must  be  overcomed. 

CO-OPERATION  WITH  THOSE  ON  THE  FIELD 

Then,  too,  the  missionaries  now  at  work  must  be  taken  into 
consideration  and  no  step  taken  which  would  lead  them  to 
believe  that  an  incoming  Board  wished  to  discount  their  work, 
or  force  them  out  by  means  of  a superior  equipment  and  more 
plenteous  resources.  Where  good  work  has  been  done,  as  in 
the  Province  of  Manabi,  where  the  Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance  has  a number  of  preaching  places  and  a few  members 
and  adherents,  it  would  seem  wise  to  consider  such  territory 
occupied  and  centralize  in  other  sections.  Should  some  of 
those  now  on  the  field  wish  to  link  up  their  work  with  a 
stronger  organization,  each  case  would  have  to  be  considered 
on  its  merits,  and  a decision  made  accordingly. 

COMMON  TERRITORY 

Such  large  cities  as  Quito,  Guayaquil,  Riobamba,  and  Cuenca 
might  be  considered  as  common  territory,  and  work  begun  by 
the  new  Board,  irrespective  of  what  is  now  being  carried  on, 
but  only  after  consultation  with  a view  to  entering  different 
sections  of  the  city  in  order  that  all  show  of  competition  may 
be  avoided,  so  far  as  may  be  possible. 

WAY  OPEN  FOR  SCHOOL  WORK 

Inasmuch  as  no  school  work  has  been  done  by  any  one  of 
the  missions  now  in  Ecuador,  it  would  seem  that  a new  Board 
would  have  the  field  to  itself  in  this  department,  and  should 
be  able  to  organize  its  programme  in  such  a way  as  to  estab- 
lish in  each  of  the  largest  centers,  and  without  regard  to  the 
Evangelistic  work  carried  on  by  those  now  in  the  field.  This 
is,  also,  the  line  of  work  which  would  meet  with  the  greatest 
acceptance  on  the  part  of  the  Ecuadoreans,  and  unqualified 
approval  from  the  representatives  of  our  own  country,  who 
are  residents  in  Ecuador.  There  is  a tragic  need  of  instruction, 
and  especially  of  Christian  education,  which  will  build  up 
character  at  the  same  time  that  it  instructs  the  mind. 


21 


Yet,  to  my  thinking,  no  Board  should  come  in  for  the  pur- 
pose of  doing  school  work  alone.  The  need  for  a persuasive, 
persistent,  and  efficient  preaching  of  a purer  form  of  the 
Christian  Message  than  the  people  have  ever  known  is  appall- 
ingly evident,  and  no  Board  would  perform  its  whole  duty  did 
it  limit  its  activities  to  school  work,  although  this  might  well 
be  the  form  through  which  its  first  approach  would  be  made. 

SUGGESTED  EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAMME 

I would  like  to  make  the  following  suggestions  in  regard  to 
the  school  programme  to  be  established,  giving  the  cities  in 
the  order  in  which  they  might  best  be  occupied. 

IN  GUAYAQUIL 

1.  In  this  city,  the  principal  port  and,  in  many  ways,  the 
chief  city  of  the  Republic,  there  is  a good  opportunity  to 
establish  a “Boarding  and  Day  School  for  Boys,”  in  which 
the  English  language  would  be  well  taught,  as  also  other 
commercial  branches.  This  school  should  ultimately  otter 
a complete  course  in  primary  and  secondary  instruction,  with 
the  commercial  branches  as  an  annex  or  included  in  the 
secondary  course. 

I found  the  American  Consul,  Dr.  F.  \V.  Coding,  partic- 
ularly interested  in  our  putting  such  a school  in  Guayaquil. 
He  returned  to  his  post  on  the  steamer  by  which  I left,  so 
that  I had  but  a short  conversation  with  him,  yet  found  that 
while  in  the  States  he  had  tried  to  arouse  interest  in  just  such 
a move.  He  promises  his  help  in  all  related  to  what  is  purely 
educational  work  in  the  city,  and  would  not  be  unsympathetic 
with  Christian  work  done  as  a part  of  the  school  programme. 

There  is  also  an  American  surgeon  in  the  city  who  has  built 
up  an  enormous  practice  and  has  a wide  influence,  who  was 
also  enthusiastic  about  the  coming  of  a good  school  and 
promised  any  help  he  might  be  able  to  give. 

I would  recommend  for  Guayaquil  such  a school  as  the 
“Instituto  Ingles,”  of  Santiago  de  Chile,  and  then,  as  soon 
as  the  way  be  opened,  a sister  institution  for  girls,  similar  to 
the  “Santiago  College,”  of  the  same  city. 

IN  QUITO 

2.  In  the  Capital  City  the  problem  is  somewhat  different 
form  that  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  more  commercial  cities 
of  the  coast.  The  majority  of  the  families  who  would  send 

22 


their  children  to  school  wish  their  sons  to  become  lawyers, 
physicians,  pharmacists,  etc.,  and,  in  order  that  they  may  enter 
these  professional  courses  in  the  University,  the  degree  in  Arts 
is  necessary,  and  this  is  given  only  on  the  completion  of  the 
specified  secondary  course  of  studies,  and  after  examination 
in  the  University  itself. 

Hence,  a school  for  Boys,  in  Quito,  should  affiliate  with  the 
University,  and  prepare  its  students  for  the  State  examinations, 
an  arrangement  that  would  not  present  its  ofifering,  in  ad- 
dition, courses  in  commerce  and  others  of  a practical  trend. 

But,  in  Quito,  there  should  also  be  established,  and  as  soon 
as  possible,  a good  School  for  Girls,  which  would  offer  full 
primary  and  secondary  courses,  but  not  in  affiliation  with  the 
University.  Here,  again,  my  ideal  would  be  the  “Santiago 
College,”  in  Chile,  as,  probably,  the  best  institution  for  Girls 
in  South  America. 

As  already  stated  in  this  report,  there  is  no  secondary  school 
for  girls  in  all  Ecuador,  and  the  primary  instruction,  given  in 
a mixed  school,  is  pitifully  inferior. 

There  are  two  so-called  “Normal  Schools,”  for  girls,  which, 
in  reality,  give  but  little  professional  instruction  and  are, 
rather  a kind  of  inferior  High  School.  One  of  these  is  located 
in  Quito  and  the  other  in  Guayaquil.  In  these  there  was  a 
total  matriculation,  in  1919,  of  251,  but  only  22  are  reported 
as  having  registered  as  students  in  the  last  year  of  studies, 
and  from  these  schools  must  have  come  the  only  two  women 
university  students  reported  in  all  Ecuador. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  reports  four  secondary  schools, 
but  they  are  all  for  boys,  only,  and  this  Church,  true  to  its 
history  and  policy,  makes  no  attempt  to  educate  the  women 
of  the  land  to  the  point  that  they  may  think  and  reason  for 
themselves.  If  any  help  comes  to  the  girls  and  young  women 
of  Ecuador,  in  their  desire  for  intellectual  advancement,  it 
must  come  from  the  Evangelical  Mission  which  enters  the 
country  with  an  educational  programme  which  includes  them 
as  well  as  their  brothers  within  its  scope. 

In  Quito  there  should  also  be  established  an  Evangelical 
Normal  School.  This  could  probably  be  done  in  connection 
with  the  Girl’s  School  proposed  above,  at  first  as  a mere  annex 
which,  in  time,  would  develop  into  a separate  institution. 
This  is  necessary  in  order  to  prepare  teachers  for  the  parochial 
day  schools  which  would  be  a necessity  in  many  smaller  towns 
as  fast  as  the  Evangelistic  programme  develops  throughout 
the  country. 


23 


OTHER  SCHOOLS 


3.  Day  schools  should  be  established  in  Cuenca,  Riobamba, 
and  Ambato,  in  the  central  part  of  the  country,  while  to  the 
North,  as  in  the  Provinces  of  Manabi  and  Esnieraldas,  there 
are  a number  of  towns  where  such  schools  are  greatly  needed. 
The  list  of  needy  centers  could  be  extended  to  include  every 
town  and  village  in  the  country,  for  all  are  needy,  but  those 
named  above  are  the  largest  and  should  be  entered  first. 

INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOLS 

4.  I scarcely  dare  suggest  industrial  schools  for  the  Indian 
population,  which  is  about  seventy  per  cent  of  the  whole,  since 
it  seems  impossible  to  interest  mission  Boards  in  this  line  of 
work,  yet  to  the  intellectual  and  moral  uplift  of  Ecuador  no 
other  form  of  endeavor  would  contribute  more  efficaciously. 
These  Indians  are,  for  the  most  part,  at  least  semi-civilized 
and  live  in  close  proximity  to  the  descendants  of  European 
nations,  from  whom  they  have  learned  many  vices  and  but 
few  virtues.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  the  climate  among  the 
mountains  salubrious,  so  that  no  strong  objection  could  be 
found  to  the  establishing  of  agricultural  and  industrial  schools 
among  them. 

THE  HEADHUNTERS 

On  the  Eastern  slopes  of  the  Andes,  in  the  region  generally 
designated  as  the  “Oriente”  there  dwells  a population  of  savage 
or  uncivilized  Indians,  estimated  at  200,000,  although  the  exact 
number  is  not  known.  These  include  the  Jibaros,  who  are 
headhunters,  and  continually  at  war  among  themselves.  Their 
special  art  consists  in  taking  the  head  of  an  enemy  slain  in 
battle,  and,  by  removing  the  bones  and  by  the  use  of  heated 
stones,  reducing  it  to  the  size  of  the  head  of  a doll,  yet  con- 
serving the  distinguishing  features  in  such  a way  that  the 
person  is  readily  recognized.  These  heads  could  formerly  be 
bought  by  souvenir  hunters,  but  are  now  both  scarce  and 
costly,  due  to  the  prohibition  of  their  sale  by  the  Government. 
Zeal  for  the  increase  of  their  macabre  collection  does  not,  as 
a rule,  extend  to  the  white  man,  and  missionaries  may  come 
and  go  at  will,  with  little  or  no  danger  to  life.  Only  the 
stranger  who  interferes  in  their  family  life  may  expect  harsh 
treatment  at  their  hands.  As  an  example,  I was  told  of  a 
priest  who,  going  among  them,  had  shown  disrespect  for 
their  women.  Shortly  afterward  a human  head,  reduced  to  the 
size  of  a large  apple  by  methods  known  only  to  them,  was 


24 


ofiferecl  for  sale  on  the  crown  of  which  appeared  a tonsure. 
Two  missionaries  of  the  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance 
are  now  living  among  them,  are  treated  with  the  utmost 
respect,  and  exercise  considerable  influence  over  the  tribe 
under  whose  protection  they  live. 

SUGGESTED  METHOD  OF  APPROACH 

To  reach  these  and  other  Indians  of  the  great  South-Ameri- 
can  hinterland  I am  becoming  convinced  that  it  would  be 
better  to  make  a united  effort,  through  a Board  or  Society 
formed  for  this  express  purpose,  probably  a co-operative 
society  organized  by  a number  of  the  Boards  that  now  co- 
operate in  Latin  America,  and  that  a general  headquarters 
should  be  established  at  some  point  East  of  the  Andes,  prob- 
ably at  Iquitos,  on  the  Amazon.  Such  an  organization  would 
tend  to  call  especial  attention  to  this  work  among  the  Indians 
of  South  America  and,  in  addition,  by  segregating  it  from  the 
general  work  of  the  missions,  would  enable  it  to  raise  up  a 
force  of  especially  prepared  missionaries  whose  whole  time 
would  be  given  to  reaching  and  evangelizing  the  various  tribes 
of  aborigines. 

But,  whatever  the  method  of  approach,  the  problem  of  reach- 
ing those  pagan  tribes  is  before  us,  and  in  Ecuador  a begin- 
ning might  well  be  made  looking  tow'ard  its  complete  solution. 

PROBLEM  EDUCATIONAL  RATHER  THAN  EVANGELISTIC 

And  I include  this  work  under  that  of  the  educational  pro- 
gramme for  Ecuador,  rather  that  the  Evangelistic,  for  I believe 
it  to  be  essentially  educational.  These  Indians  need  industrial 
schools,  with  special  reference  to  agriculture,  in  order  that  the 
men  may  be  taught  to  build  better  houses,  to  cultivate  their 
ancestral  soil  with  greater  success,  to  raise  more  and  better 
cattle,  and  to  recognize  their  personal  responsibility  to  society 
and  the  home.  The  women,  in  particular,  need  to  be  taught 
sex-hygiene,  the  care  of  children,  the  care  of  the  home,  better 
methods  of  cooking  and  a sense  of  their  own  dignity  which 
will  free  them  from  the  practical  slavery,  if  not  concubinage  in 
which  they  are  held,  particularly  by  the  white  men  who  dwell 
among  them;  in  a word,  to  make  this  life  more  bearable  and 
more  understandable,  before  endeavoring  to  attract  them  with 
the  my'sticism  of  a religion  which  they  have  judged,  up  to  the 
present,  only  by  a few  of  its  unworthy  representatives  whom 
they  have  known. 


25 


ATTITUDE  OF  PROMINENT  CITIZENS 

While  in  Quito,  I met  the  Governor  of  the  “Oriente,”  a 
young  man  who  is  greatly  interested  in  anything  that  will  tend 
to  the  uplift  of  his  dark-skinned  charges.  He  was  anxious  for 
me  to  accompany  him  on  a visit  to  the  different  tribes,  over 
which  he  has  military  as  well  as  civil  jurisdiction,  and  offered 
to  organize  a special  expedition,  if  I would  go  with  him,  which 
would  leave  me  on  board  the  river  boat  in  Iquitos,  from  which 
it  is  easy  to  reach  the  ports  of  the  North  or  South.  He,  as 
well  as  a large  number  of  the  officials  of  the  Government 
whom  I met,  are  extremely  anxious  that  some  Evangelical 
Board  come  in  to  Ecuador  and  begin  this  work  which,  as  they 
clearly  see,  means  so  much  for  the  country,  and  I hope  that 
sometime  I may  accept  the  Governor’s  invitation,  go  with  him 
down  among  the  warring  tribes  of  the  Amazon  basin,  and 
bring  back  such  information  as  will  compel  the  Evangelical 
Churches  of  North  America  to  undertake  seriously  the  work 
of  their  evangelization. 

INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  PRESIDENT 

The  more  I see  of  Mission  work  in  Latin  America,  the  more 
keenly  I feel  that  the  real  strategy  of  the  Evangelicals  should 
find  its  field  of  action  in  the  hinterland  rather  than  in  the  coast 
towns.  Like  the  Roman  Catholics,  whom  we  are  quick  to  criti- 
cize, we  have  but  fringed  the  continent  with  our  missions, 
while  the  great  Indian  population  of  the  interior,  from  five  to 
ten  millions  in  number,  is  as  pagan  as  it  was  when  Christopher 
Columbus  first  landed  on  the  continent,  more  than  four  hun- 
dred years  ago. 

Among  other  Government  officials  with  whom  I had  the 
pleasure  of  talking  over  the  situation  in  Ecuador,  and  our  hope 
to  be  of  service  to  its  people,  was  the  recently  elected  President 
of  the  Republic,  Doctor  Jose  Luis  Tamayo.  The  people  are 
expecting  great  things  from  him,  since  he  has  the  reputation 
of  being  strictly  honest  and  altogether  democratic  in  his  habits. 
When  he  left  Guayaquil,  his  home,  to  go  to  Quito  to  assume 
the  Presidency,  he  refused  the  usual  special  car  offered  by  the 
railway  company,  bought  his  own  ticket,  and  rode  in  the  day 
coach  with  other  passengers.  A number  of  friends  who  had 
also  gone  to  the  station  prepared  to  accept  a free  ride  to  the 
capital  in  a private  car,  were  forced  to  return  home,  since  they 
could  not  buy  the  usual  ticket.  In  my  interview  with  Dr. 
Tamayo  he  showed  himself  deeply  interested  in  any  pro- 
gramme that  might  be  of  help  to  the  people  of  his  country, 
and  his  last  words  as  he  held  my  hand  were : “Count  on  me, 

26 


both  officially  and  personally,  for  any  help  that  I can  give  you 
or  those  whom  you  represent  in  carrying  out  any  programme 
that  will  ennoble  and  educate  the  people  of  Ecuador.” 

I believe  that  these  were  not  merely  empty  words  of  cour- 
tesy, but  that  they  came  from  the  heart,  and  that  the  new 
President  of  Ecuador  would  welcome  any  organization  which 
he  judged  as  fitted  to  aid  him  in  the  uplift  of  his  people. 

WITH  THE  UNIVERSITY  STUDENTS 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  our  educational  programme, 
I should  mention  also  the  visits  a number  of  University  stu- 
dents made  me  in  my  hotel.  A mutual  friend  had  told  one 
of  them  of  my  visit,  and  he  came  one  evening  with  three  others 
to  make  a “short  call.”  One  was  studying  law,  another  medi- 
cine, one  was  a professor  in  the  city,  and  another  studying 
in  the  normal  School.  I have  never  seen  young  men  so  eager 
to  learn  of  life  in  the  outside  world,  of  which,  as  they  said, 
they  had  received  scant  notices  but  had  never  seen — not  even 
the  coast  towns  of  their  own  country.  I talked  with  them  all 
that  evening  and,  when  they  finally  left,  it  was  with  the 
promise  that  they  might  come  again  the  following  evening. 
This  they  did,  with  reinforcements,  and  it  was  again  near 
morning  before  they  left.  No  one  could  hear  such  young  men 
pour  out  their  heart-longings,  for  something  better  and  higher 
than  they  have  known ; their  condemnation  of  the  spiritual 
leaders  in  the  country,  knowing  that  they  were  being  wrongly 
led,  yet  not  knowing  just  where  the  trouble  lay;  their  oft-ex- 
pressed desire  that  some  Evangelical  body  might  come  in  with 
elements  of  culture  which  would  mean  the  uplift  of  the  youth 
of  Ecuador;  their  hunger  to  get  away  from  it  all  and  see  and 
know  something  beyond  the  narrowed  round  which  they  are 
forced  to  tread  in  their  own  city  which  still  slumbers  in  the 
Middle  Ages — no  one  could  hear  and  note  all  this  without 
feeling  once  more,  and  with  desperate  keenness,  the  unpardon- 
able negligence  of  the  Christian  Churches  of  the  world  who 
have  received  in  unstinted  measure  of  the  good  things  of  the 
Kingdom,  but  have  not  given  to  these  hungering  youth  even 
the  crumbs  that  fall  from  their  burdened  table. 

Before  leaving  Quito,  I was  invited  to  return  and  speak 
before  the  local  “Atheneum,”  the  literary  club  of  the  city,  and 
also  to  lecture  before  the  Eaculty  of  Political  Sciences  in  the 
University,  and  made  friends  with  a number  of  the  leading 
writers  of  the  country  who,  in  their  generous  fashion  loaded  me 
down  with  copies  of  their  own  works,  many  of  these  now 
very  valuable  and  in  some  cases  out  of  print. 

27 


AN  EVANGELISTIC  PROGRAMME 


For  the  occupation  of  the  country  by  the  Evangelistic  forces 
of  any  one  of  our  Mission  Boards,  the  following  recommenda- 
tions or  suggestions  may  be  of  value : 

CO-OPERATION  WITH  THOSE  NOW  ON  THE  FIELD 

1.  That  the  missionaries  now  on  the  field,  although  they 
represent  only  individual  effort,  or  organizations  that  are  in- 
terdenominational and  which  have  but  comparatively  little 
financial  backing,  be  consulted  as  to  the  distribution  of  the  new 
forces,  and  that  none  of  the  smaller  centers  now  occupied  by 
them  be  entered,  unless  on  their  request  or  with  their  per- 
mission. 

COMMON  TERRITORY 

2.  That  Quito,  Guayaquil,  Cuenca  and  Riobamba  be  con- 
sidered of  sufficient  size  to  warrant  the  entrance  of  more  than 
one  Society,  every  effort  being  made  to  avoid  too  close  group- 
ing in  any  one  city  or  center. 

RECEIVING  INTO  MEMBERSHIP  THOSE  ON  THE  FIELD 

3.  That  missionaries  now  in  Ecuador  who  may  wish  to 
work  under  the  incoming  Board,  be  accepted  whenever  pos- 
sible, each  case  to  be  considered  apart  and  on  its  own  merits, 
and  only  on  request  of  the  interested  party. 

NATIVE  PREACHERS  FROM  OTHER  COUNTRIES 

4.  That  Latin-American  preachers  be  brought  from  other 
countries  that  are  friendly  to  Ecuador  (not  Peru),  in  order  to 
let  the  people  know  that  the  movement  is  not  wholly  from 
the  United  States,  but  that  other  Latins  have  heard  and  ac- 
cepted the  Gospel  as  preached  by  the  Evangelical  Churches. 

NEED  OF  SUITABLE  BUILDINGS 

5.  It  would  seem  to  be  particularly  important  to  erect  or 
secure  buildings  that  will  adequately  serve  for  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  message,  of  a Church  style  of  architecture  that  will 
appeal  to  the  people.  A rented  room  on  the  second  floor  of  a 
tumble-down  building  can  make  no  appeal  to  the  Latin  people 
as  a place  where  God  is  worshipped.  Magnificent  Catholic 
buildings  abound  in  every  city  and  village  and  throughout  the 
country  districts,  and  the  Evangelical  Church  should  have 

28 


houses  of  worship  that  may,  though  less  pretentious  and  cost- 
ly than  those  of  the  dominant  Church,  at  least  be  recognized 
as  such. 

SALARIES 

6.  The  salaries  of  the  missionaries  should  be  such  as  to 
render  them  independent  of  any  local  income.  Living  in 
Ecuador  is  still  cheaper  than  in  any  other  of  the  countries  I 
have  visited,  but  with  the  opening  of  commercial  relations, 
due  to  the  cleansing  of  the  port,  the  country  is  sure  to  take  its 
place  with  others  as  regards  the  high  cost  of  living.  No  mis- 
sionary going  out  under  a new  Board  should  be  compelled 
to  ask  any  financial  favor  whatsoever  from  American  residents 
on  the  field,  and  the  salary  should  be  sufficient  to  allow  him 
to  give  all  his  time  to  direct  missionary  eflfort,  rather  than 
to  school  teaching  or  other  means  of  self-support. 

The  continuous  financial  stress  of  many  who  have  gone  to 
Ecuador  in  the  past  with  the  best  intentions,  but  with  little 
or  no  assured  income,  has  done  much  to  create  an  impression 
of  dislike  for  mission  work  in  general  among  those  who  might 
otherwise  have  been  well  disposed  toward  such  work,  and  it 
will  be  necessary  to  overcome  this  feeling  through  a generous 
and  meticulous  provision  for  the  wants  of  all  who  may  hence- 
forth enter  that  country  for  the  purpose  of  doing  Christian 
work. 

7.  I would  especially  urge  that  the  Board  going  into  Ecua- 
dor begin  its  work  in  a quiet  way,  with  but  a few  workers  and 
a restricted  programme.  Two  or  three  missionary  families 
would  be  sufficient  for  a beginning  and  could,  in  all  probability 
start  their  work  almost  at  once  in  both  Guayaquil  and  Quito, 
through  a small  day  school  which  could,  later  on,  be  developed 
in  conformity  with  the  educational  programme  suggested 
above. 

The  foundations  of  the  work  to  be  done  should  be  strong 
and  deep,  and  there  will  be  need  to  go  slowly  and  with  ex- 
treme care,  yet  no  Board  should  go  in  which  is  not  prepared 
to  develop  its  work  from  the  small  beginnings  suggested  un- 
til, in  due  time,  its  programme  covers  the  entire  Republic. 
The  doors  to  Ecuador  are  wide  open,  the  people  of  the  coun- 
try are  in  a receptive  and  expectant  mood,  obscurantism  no 
longer  has  the  power  it  long  exercised,  the  upper  classes  in 
particular  would  be  friendly  toward  any  movement  that 
promised  relief  from  the  domination  and  enervating  influence 
of  the  Romish  Clergy,  and  a beginning  has  been  made  by 
those  already  on  the  field  which  could  be  used  to  advantage 
in  further  work.  The  Board  that  enters  this  field,  will,  in  my 

29 


judgment,  find  that  its  investments  in  money  and  workers 
will  quickly  yield  unusually  large  and  satisfactory  returns  in 
its  wholesome  influence  on  the  country  at  large,  and  in  the 
building  up  of  Christian  character  in  individual  men  and 
women. 

Just  about  one  hundred  years  ago,  James  Thomson,  Scotch- 
man, probably  a Baptist  in  faith,  representative  of  the  Lan- 
casterian  School  Association  and  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Society,  coming  up  from  the  South,  disembarked  from  a sail- 
ing vessel  in  the  port  of  Guayaquil  and  made  his  way  by  slow 
stages  into  the  interior  and  finally  to  the  Capital,  Quito.  His 
journal  makes  interesting  reading  to  one  who  goes  over  the 
same  route  today,  although  it  be  in  an  American-built  railway 
car  instead  of  by  stage-coach  or  on  horseback.  His  route  lay 
along  the  valleys  through  which  the  railway  now  climbs  up 
past  Chimborazo  and  Cotopaxi,  and  the  stations  at  which  the 
train  stops  today  are  those  in  which  he  spent  the  night  or 
delayed  in  order  to  satisfy  the  unusual  demand  for  copies  of 
the  Scriptures. 

In  all  this  journey,  as  in  Argentina,  Chile  and  Peru,  he  found 
the  people,  especially  those  of  the  intellectual  class,  interested 
in  his  work  and  anxious  to  be  of  service  to  him  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  copies  of  the  Bible  and  other  Christian  literature 
which  he  had  brought  with  him,  and,  in  one  city,  the  Governor 
of  the  Province  with  his  wife  attended  to  the  sales  while 
Thomson  returned  visits  of  the  local  authorities  or  attended  to 
other  business.  Even  clergymen  of  the  Church  of  Rome 
crowded  to  his  rooms  to  buy  the  Bible,  and  he  mentions  one 
who  carried  away  in  triumph  thirteen  copies  which  he  pro- 
posed distributing  among  his  confreres.  In  Quito,  he  sold  360 
copies  of  the  New  Testament  and  found,  as  I have  a 
hundred  years  later,  a great  desire  among  the  intellectuals  for 
healthful  literature.  Referring  to  the  situation  in  the  Capital, 
he  says  in  words  that  might  have  been  written  in  1920: 

“I  suppose  that  I need  not  tell  you  that  a work  of  the  evi- 
dences of  the  Christian  religion  is  not  a little  wanted  in  many 
parts  in  this  country,  as  there  are  many  who  are  verging  to- 
wards, or  are  already  gone  into,  deism.  On  this  account,  as 
well  as  on  others,  it  behooves  the  friends  of  Christianity  to 
bestir  themselves  on  behalf  of  South  America.  The  present 
is  a very  interesting  as  well  as  a very  critical  period  for  this 
country.  Much,  very  much,  may  be  done  at  present,  through 
prudent  and  zealous  means,  to  instruct  and  confirm  the  waver- 
ing, and  even,  perhaps,  to  bring  back  those  who  have  aposta- 
tized from  the  faith.  If  these  measures  were  connected  with 
instruction,  as  far  as  can  be  done,  regarding  the  true  principles 


30 


and  practices  of  Christianity  as  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
a very  plentiful  harvest  through  the  blessing  of  God  might  be 
reaped. 

“If  it  should  please  the  Lord  to  spare  me,  and  enable  me  to 
reach  my  native  land,  I trust  that  I shall  find  many  ready  to 
lend  their  aid  towards  such  a sacred  object.” 

Thomson  was  disappointed  in  that  he  did  not  find  many 
who  were  willing  to  aid  him  in  establishing  Evangelical  Chris- 
tianity in  Ecuador  and  other  South  American  countries,  and  a 
golden  opportunity  was  lost.  It  has  now  cost  the  few  liberals 
of  these  countries  a century  of  almost  constant  warring  and 
revolution  to  bring  about  that  religious  liberty  which  all  de- 
sired, and  which  might  have  been  obtained  much  more  quickly 
and  more  easily  had  the  Evangelical  world  rallied  to  the  call 
of  Thomson.  Rome  soon  heard  of  the  interest  displayed, 
even  by  her  priests,  in  the  circulation  of  the  Sacred  Volume, 
and,  in  ways  peculiar  to  herself,  quickly  brought  about  a 
change  in  their  attitude.  Deism  and  atheism  and  other  philo- 
sophies have  reaped  their  harvest,  but  the  thinking  men  and 
women  of  Ecuador  are  still  unsatisfied,  the  hunger  of  their 
hearts  has  not  been  fed,  and  they  are  still  ready  to  listen  to 
those  who,  coming  from  beyond  their  own  narrow  horizon, 
can  tell  them  of  things  new  and  satisfying.  I am  wondering 
if  once  again  the  call  of  Ecuador  is  to  be  unheeded ; or  if 
some  one  of  the  strong  Missionary  Boards  of  the  North  will 
not  accept  this  Call  as  coming  directly  to  itself  and  at  once 
begin  preparations  to  come  and  occupy  the  land.  To  such 
a Board  “a  great  door  and  effectual”  is  now  opened  and,  al- 
though there  may  be  many  adversaries,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
as  to  the  results  to  be  secured  from  entering  in. 

Quito, 

Republica  del  Ecuador, 

August  21,  1920. 


1 pATp*  due  ^ 

1 \ 

1 1 

1 L- 

1 

1 

t GAYLORC 

TT^ntedino  S • 

PHOTOMOUNT 

PAMPHLET  BINDER 


Monufactured  by 
GAYLORD  BROS.  Inc. 
SyrocuM,  N.  Y. 
Stockton,  Calif. 

am 


